Toe closing for socks and the like



la-m3 y 8, 1947- G. T; WYHVITLOCK 2,423,744

TOE CLOSING FOR SOCKS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 31, 1944 FE- E 4 6: 2T ZV/ultlbak.

' ing the novel qualities sought.

Patented July 8, 1947 s termomes roaonosmaronsocxsannmnma Gary '1'. Whitlock, Hendenonviiie, N.- c, Application August 81, 1944, Serial No. 552,054

r l The invention relates to knitted socks and the like, in which a tubular blank either without or with a fashioned heel portion may have the open roam. (o1. s as) end of the toe of the blank closed by suitablestitching.

It is an important aim of the invention to provide a novel construction in the seek, in the par ticular of the arrangement of certain seams withrespect to each other.

It is also an object of the invention to present a novel method of procedure in the closing of the toe of a blank in order to present a garment hav- A further important aim of enable the adaptation of such a sock to proper fit for long and short toe socks, as will appear.

A still further important aim is to enable the production of a sock embodying my invention without radical changes in the construction or manner of operation of the machine used in the production of the garment. Another important aim is to'enable the production of a garment embodying my invention by persons without having skilled training, but enabling the training of lay persons to perform the operations required under very short instructions. 1

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention, reside in the form and relation of cuts and seams made in the tubular knitted blank from which my garment is produced, and also in the manner of procedure in forming the cuts and shaping the blanks preliminary. to stitching, and otherwisaas will be understood from the following description and accompany drawings, wherein Figurel is a side elevation of a sock embody.- ing myinvention.

Figure 2 is a sideview of the blank as initially constructed, to produce a sock for a short toe. Figure 3 is a similar view showing the manner of cut for a long toe.

Figure 4 is ,a top manner of forming the style of cut for the top seam of the toe.

There is illustrated a sock II, which may be knitted onstandard forms of knitting machines adapted to produce-a tubular blank, or in which it is possible to fashion a heeL'as indicated at H. although the heel may be otherwise formed as found desirable. In the present instance a half sock is lndicatedjhaving an anklet portion I! of conventional form, althoughthe invention is applicable as well to full" socks and stockings, as will be appreciated.

Inproducing the article of Figure 1, a blank is formed. upon, a conventional knitting machine, in which the heel portion i l is fashioned as heretofore, and the toe portion extended in tubular form, as indicated in dotted lines at it. .The blank is customarily pressed flat, so that a seam is formed running along the instep of the sock and at the top, and at the sole and heel, so that when the foot portion of the garment lies upon its side pressedflat as above described, it will have the form shown in Figures 2 and 3- extending to the lines It and i3 respectively. defining the ends the invention is of the knitted blanks. While the blank is held in this iorm, the lower corner portionis cut oil on a convex curved line extending from the mid sole to about two-thirds the height of the flattened blank at the end of the sock, as indicated at the line ll in Figure 2, for a short toe; or lower at the extremity as indicated at it in Figure 3, for a long toe. In the, first instance. the cut at it extends higher on the foot portion of the sock where it intersects the end of the blank, as may be seen in the figures. If desired, the blank may also be cut 08 diagonally at the upper part, as indicated at it in Figure 2, and'il' in Figure 3.. Either with or without the cut at I! or i I the edges formed at the cut it or II are then stitched together upon a suitable sewing machine customarily used forforming such seams in socks of this general kind, the seam extending from the intersection of the cut with the edge of the folded blank at the middle of the sole as indicated at l6, and extending upwardly to the end of the blank or nearly thereto, as shown at H. The blank is then flattened between the point I1 and the top view of a blank showing the corner portions 22 crease [8 of the blank, as shown in Figure 4, so that the top crease is brought down to the point l1, and the intervening portions of the blank at each side project laterally, so that a small tube-like portion is formed at the top of the blank-flattened in a plane at right angles to that in which the blank was initially flattened as shown in Figures 2 and 3. This flattened top I! is then trimmed at the outer end, on a curved line 20, from one side to the other, the cut extending from the termination of the i1 backwardly into the material of the sock on each side, as indicated at 2|, in Figure 4. The are thus cut of! additionally at the top of the blank.

As before stated, the last mentioned flattening and cutting of the blank on the line 20 may be eflfected without making the cut at it or ii, so that but one cutting operation is required at this upper part.

After the top out is made as described, the

stitching at r alined edges thus formed are stitched to ether to form seams 23 meeting the bottom seam at l 'I and extending into the sides of the sock, to the point 2| shown in Figures 1 and 4.

In case of the long toe shown in Figure 3, the transverse trimming at the line 20 will extend for a greater distance transversely. as may be understood, and the resultant seam 23 will be longer in the case oftheblank as shown in Figure 2. 7

While I havdesbribedlmy invention withgreat particularity in' the best form and procedure known to me, and practiced in production thus far, it will, nevertheless, be understood that some a 4 lei'ts, and may be omitted for supplying certain classes of trade where nicety of fit is not demanded.

I claim: The method-of forming the end of a foot piece of the character described consisting in producing a tubular blank, flattening the same to form creases midway of the top and bottom of the foot piece, cutting oil the lower corner of the blank on a curvedline extending from the crease at the 'bottorn' {substantial distance from the extremity of the blank, and extending upwardly thereonto a distance short of the upper crease, se-

modifications in proportions and arrangements.

may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as more particularly" set forth in the appended claim. Thus, when the top por-v tion of the blank is folded transversely and horizontally, as shown in Figure 4, if the upper por tion of the front part at I9 is thrust longitudinally curing theedgesthus'formed together to form a lower curved seam, flattening the upper portion of thes'ock above said seam in a plane transverse r; tothat on whlchthe sock was flattened initially,

endwise and outwardly, the seam 23 will {tend to" be located higher at the end of the sock-,* while.

on the contrary, if the top portion is drawnlon-r gitudinally inward beiore'the cut is made at 20, the opposite will be true'in some degree,:and there will also be greater fullness in the. upper portion of the toe.- In either case,"the stitching oi the: top seam is'proceeded with inthe same manner as beioredescribed, the meetingvedge portions; of

, the top-andlower side parts of the sock atthe;

line 20 are stitched together to form the seam,

ateach' side of the sock." It .is also possibleto extend'the. ,curvedgcut 20 further backward on one-- side than ontheother, if it should be found desirable forjany 'r'eason,as, to give agreater fullness askon one side thanon the other,*wher eby the sock a will tend .to assume a shape to fit the big toe at 3 one side and the shorter toes for the outer Sides This would involvethe production of rights-and and trimming off the outer end portions of the -blanl-:"on a curved line extending from side to side and extending rearwardly a shorter distance than the first cut,. and lying immediately adjacent the Y termination of the flrstcut at the extremity of the blank, and securing to each other the edges thus; formedby the. last mentioned transverse cut, for

the purposes described.

, CiARY WHITLOCK;

V mamncssjc n' The following references Klein Jan. 24, 1882 areof record in the 

